The Advantages of Public Transport
by fangbang
Summary: “For My Valentine” Contest Entry - Bella Swan takes the bus to school for one reason and one reason alone
1. Chapter 1

"**For My Valentine"**

**A Twilight Love Story Contest**

**Title: The Advantages of Public Transport**

**Rating: T**

**Pairing: Edward/Bella**

**Vampire or Human: Human**

**For more information please see contest details on manyafandom or isabel0329's profiles. **

I look out onto the road stretching out in front of me, the ice causing light to dance in my line of vision.

Sigh.

I wonder if the bus will turn up today.

Probably not with my luck.

Let's just say that if breaking a mirror gives you seven years of bad luck, I must have caused the collapse of a hall of mirrors when I was in my mother's womb.

I turn my head to the left of the dilapidated shelter, craning it as far as I can possibly manage, hoping for a glimpse of that mussed bronze I have become accustomed to for the past few weeks.

The one upside of the drudgery that is my commute to school.

Yeah, that's right. I'm not afraid to admit that the only reason I can force myself out of bed at such a godforsaken hour is to be able to have just a glance, if only fleeting, of a complete stranger.

Well, technically he's not a stranger, since I have started referring to him as 'the bus hottie' or his full name 'the boy who is so completely out my league yet I feel the need to drool over him every morning like someone with no control over their bodily functions'.

A few weeks ago, I would have been the first to roll my eyes when my friends would point and ogle at some random boy when we were out shopping (me there under threats of a painful death).

I would have complained that we shouldn't treat them as pieces of meat.

Yet everyday I take the same seat and stare at the back of his head, playing out all the fantasies that would never come true in my wildest dreams. Let's just say that in my opinion he is one fine rack of ribs.

The fantasies range from him pulling me from my seat and embracing me passionately.

Him accidentally knocking me to the ground when getting off said bus and embracing me passionately.

Him suddenly turning round one day, saying that I'm all he's ever wanted and then embracing me passionately.

Okay, I think I may have been reading too many of those smutty romance novels, but you get the picture.

So my daily routine has lately become as follows;

Roll out from under the covers after a peaceful nights sleep dreaming of running my fingers through bronze locks only to awake and find that I've been attacking Mr Cuddle's fur.

Dress.

Run to bus stop.

Try to even out breathing.

Wait for 'bus hottie' to arrive.

When he does, discreetly watching his every move from the corner of my eye.

(okay I know I sound like some kind of weirdo that you see on 'America's Most Wanted' but I just really cannot get enough of those chiselled cheek bones. It's not my fault that I'm addicted!)

Get on the bus a few steps behind and then stare longingly at the back of his head whilst attempting to keep up the pretence of reading my dog eared book.

Some days this all goes to plan. Sometimes he doesn't turn up (those are what I refer to as the 'dark days') or he changes it up a bit and sits somewhere else. But occasionally, he will glance my way and give me a small crooked smile, his eyes all green and perfect, while I stare at him, mouth half open, trying to return the gesture, before quickly hiding my face behind a curtain of my mahogany hair.

He probably feels sorry for the girl who's not all there.

I turn to the left this time, pondering (also known as praying) that he is just running a little late today and telling myself not to worry, I WILL get my fix.

Fuck, now I sound like a junkie waiting for my next hit of heroin.

But what a drug he is.

Shit. The bus is here and bus hottie is nowhere in sight.

Damnedy damn damn. I clamber on the steps, passing the driver my pass but not before checking around for him. Guess it's another dark day.

I drag myself into my bedroom after what seems like my own personal nightmare of a day.

First 'bus hottie' is a no show.

Then I get to school, only to find that I've forgotten half my stuff, earning me countless dirty looks and apprehensions (which for someone as conscientious as me is a big deal).

But the kick to the groin when I'm down is that at lunch time my clumsiness decided to rear its ugly head.

I'm walking through the cafeteria, minding my own business, looking for Alice or Rosalie when I notice that not only is 'bus hottie' sitting with his back to me about 5 metres away from me, but he is sitting at our table along with Rosalie, Alice and their boyfriends Emmett and Jasper.

Please God no.

I don't think that I can handle that much perfection sitting in such a close proximity to me eating school food.

So, I, being as cool as a cucumber, decide to walk as casually as possible past the table, whilst staring determinedly at the floor. This was going well until I decide to lift my head up and meet the gaze of Alice who waggles her eyebrows, pointing to me and then mouthing 'love' and then pointing to what I lovingly refer to as a grade A piece of meat.

I splutter and let me just tell you something, Bella Swan spluttering + walking = human disaster.

Or perhaps in this case ' the worst thing that could possibly happen in the whole, ENTIRE universe'. Maybe that was a bit melodramatic, probably just the world, but hey I digress.

So anyway, I trip on the edge of my shoe and tumble down to earth, flinging my just about edible lasagne into the air.

I look up and I feel like I'm watching it in slow motion, you know like when you watch sports and they replay it so you can watch every little detail.

Well let's say that I can see the red and orange pasta flying across the space in front of me. I can see that it narrowly misses a freshman and most clearly, I can see it score a touch down in the middle of bus hottie's pristine white shirt.

R.I.P Bella Swan

She lived a good life but died of EMBARRASMENT

I peek one of my eyes open and see that everyone is staring at me, with looks that range from pity to amusement, some starting to snigger quietly.

I purposely avoid the one person whose reaction I am most afraid of and run from the cafeteria to my solace in the girl's bathrooms.

Rosalie and Alice try to console me, them knowing about my secret infatuation and inform me that his name is in fact Edward Cullen and he is friends with Emmett and Jasper.

Geez Louise. Somebody cut me some slack here because I'm pretty sure that I'm going to have to see him around more often than my morning meetings with the back of his lush bronze locks. And that means that he is probably going to resent me for the rest of eternity for being the girl that threw over processed Italian food at him.

I wash my face to try and stop myself pruning from the rivers of tears that I seemed to have let loose in my mortification.

I mean seriously, what idiot manages to dump her lunch all over the HOTTEST guy in school, if not the state.

After that the day pretty much blurred into one and here I sit, wallowing in my self pity. I think about maybe walking to school.

Yeah like that's gonna happen. Bella Swan and walking long distances, like most other things, do not go.

There's always Charlie and his police cruiser but then I think that showing up at school like some reject from Beverly Hills Cops is not the way to go in bringing my reputation from the deepest corners of the high school outcast sector.

The next morning I decide to just suck it up and face the music.

If by face the music you mean stare at my copy of Wuthering Heights, only looking up to get on the bus so I don't have another Swan attack and getting off at school as fast as humanly possibly, then yeah we're on the same page.

I repeat this for the next few days, quite pleased with myself and the fact that I haven't once glanced in the Adonis' direction.

It's Thursday and I'm rooting through my satchel for my book, when it slips from my fingers towards the sludge covered ground.

Great, now how am I gonna read it when it looks like it's been pooped on.

That's before I notice the pale, slender fingers swoop beneath it and grasp it in an outstretched hand.

I blink, wondering how anyone can have reflexes that fast but knowing that I haven't got much to compare it to and then I look up, questioning who my knight in shining armour is.

Big mistake.

I find myself staring directly into his gold specked eyes, losing my grip on reality and thinking is it wrong that I wish that I was the book, with his hands all over me?

I realise that I've been staring for what feels like an eternity and abruptly mumble a 'thank you', my face flushing like a red stop light, whilst retrieving the book and stumbling onto the bus.

I'm convinced I hear a 'anytime Bella' but I think that it's just my subconscious making my go mad. Nobody can have a voice that deliciously low, enough to give me goosebumps and anyway how would he know my name?

Mike 'can't take a freaking hint' Newton harasses me at school about taking me to the movies tomorrow evening for a 'valentine's to remember'.

I don't think that barfing up overpriced candy when someone undoubtedly tries to stick their tongue down your throat is something that I would care to remember.

I graciously turn him down with a 'sorry I'm going to be out of the country' before whirling round in the other direction and finding sanctuary in the peace and quiet of the library.

Aaaaaah, the smell of books. I can already feel my nerves that were frazzled by Mike's full frontal attack calming.

So what if I'm a nerd. I'm a proud nerd, so get over it.

Only I discover that I'm not as alone as I had thought. Edward is sitting in the chair opposite me, casting me a questioning glance.

What should I do? Run away? No, too obvious.

Continue reading? Too rude.

Instead of trying to think of an alternative solution from this awkward situation, I find myself blurting out abruptly 'What are you looking at?'

Shit, now I sound some biatch off 90210.

I expect Edward to look pissed but instead I'm greeted with an amused smirk.

'So are you really going to be out of the country tomorrow or is it just another line from your long list of Newton brush offs'

'Errmmmmm…..well I'll be out of the country in spirit only, does that count?' I mumble, painfully aware that I'm pretty much a human beetroot.

I can feel the heat radiating from my cheeks but what do you expect? I'm talking to Edward FREAKING Cullen, formally known and 'bus hottie' and all round fittie extraordinaire.

He chuckles and resumes the staring contest that we seem to constantly start whenever we see each other.

'Well that's good' he says, getting up gracefully from his seat and exiting the library.

Huh.

What am I supposed to get from that? I think staring at the now vacant seat.

I inconspicuously sniff myself. Nope, all good in the hygiene hood.

So it must be the 'stay away from freaks' rule that was pushing him away.

Boys (also known as Greek gods) are so confusing.

Oh well, at least I can say that I spoke to Edward Cullen for 68 seconds on the 13th February 2009.

Yep, I timed it, deal with it.

When I get home that night, Alice has called me 14 times and I pick up on the 15th. She wants me to go on a triple date with them, me having a blind date 'that will be just perfect for me'.

Hmmm, let me consider.

No.

Frickin.

Way.

But of course this is Alice we're talking about, so two hours later after almost losing my eye to a mascara wand, I'm being dragged out the house by an over peppy pixie on a pre-Valentine's celebrations.

Yeah, that's what I said.

Half an hour later I'm storming back into the house after discovering that my 'date' was none other than Eric Yorkie, the boy who uses slime to slick his hair and used to throw bugs at me.

One word. Ew.

Now it's Valentine's Day and I'm trudging along the path to the bus stop, dragging my heels, in no rush to face the depressing sight that is a million other couples professing their love whilst the rest of us sit by feeling the green eyed monster jump aboard.

Except I'm so busy with my internal jedi match against cupid, that I fail to notice a large unidentified object in the middle of said path before it's too late and I know that Bella Swan is soon to become reacquainted with her good friend Mr. Floor.

Luckily someone grasps my arm and pulls me upright. I turn to thank them, only to see Edward suppressing a laugh. Somewhere, I feel a fuse blow, my eyelid twitches and a vein on my forehead bulges as a tirade spew from my mouth.

'Look, I don't know what your problem is and I'm sorry that I soiled your shirt but just because I can't seem to control my centre of gravity does not give you the right to lau-'

I'm cut off by Edward's lips covering mine. I stand frozen until I recover and respond with fervour, repressing a moan as I feel our lips dance together, his smooth as silk. Edward pulls away first, panting and I hear myself whimper.

Before I can say anything he pulls my arm to face the bus in front of us.

I wonder what the hell is going on in my lust induced haze and I am about to say so to Edward when my eye catches some bright pink lettering adorning the side of the bus.

I read the words and feel my pulse sky rocket.

Be still my beating heart.

There, on the school bus, is a huge banner with the words 'Be My Valentine Bella Swan Love Your Bus Hottie'.

No, the word 'your' is not lost on me.

And yes, I do want to throttle Alice or Rosalie for spilling my secret nickname for him.

I turn to face Edward and almost shout 'Fuck yes' before embracing him passionately.


	2. worth a vote?

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